Running Efficient Meetings

1
Running Efficient Meetings

• Training Modules

2
The Issue of Efficiency

• Boards are constantly working to attract more
  participation from the parent population.
  Running effective meetings will keep the parents
  coming back.
• Effective meetings will keep the frustration
  levels down when some meetings must run longer
  than usual or when highly emotional content is
  being discussed at the meeting.

3
Preparations Before the Meeting

• Determine the purpose of the meeting
• Develop the agenda
• Board Packet distribution
• Meeting time considerations
• Environmental considerations
• Post meeting and Agenda

4
Purpose of the Meeting

• Regular Meeting
• Regular business
• Reports
• New Business
• Workshop
• Working meeting meant to address a specific issue
• Generally longer than a regular meeting
• Training
• Aimed at Board Members participating in a seminar
  to learn new skills, policy development, etc.
• Note Votes may be taken at a regular meeting,
  but not at workshops or training sessions. A
  regular meeting may be conducted after a workshop
  or training, but only if posted according to
  Sunshine Law or bylaws of school.

5
Develop Agenda

• Order of items
• Mix up between short, easy-to-handle items and
  the more complicated items
• Put a few easy things first to get the meeting
  rolling in a positive direction at a fast pace
• Listing goal or action of each item
• Place on the agenda the expected action that will
  be taken with each item. If you will be voting
  on that particular piece, say so. If you will
  only be opening a discussion on it, make it
  clear. (Ex For discussion or For
  consideration, etc.)
• Balance of items and guarding against overload
• Make sure the agenda is manageable. If it gets
  too big, look for items that can wait until
  another time.
• Can a small group be put in charge of an item to
  bring back information or to make the decision
  themselves? Delegate when possible. It will
  give more people buy-in to your organization.
• Consent agenda
• See next slide

6
Consent Agenda

• The consent agenda is not a way to push things
  through without proper discussion and debate.  In
  fact, it should not be used for decision items.
• Items that are for information only, and do not
  require a decision or any Board action, should be
  included in the consent agenda.  The consent
  agenda allows all of the reports to be received
  with one motion. (Ex Second readings of
  policies)
• When individuals have included a written report
  for information, they somehow feel compelled to
  speak to their report.  That is not done with a
  consent agenda.  However, board members can ask
  all the questions that they want related to the
  consent agenda items.  Once any questions are
  dealt with, the vote on the single motion
  addresses all the consent agenda reports.  Quick.
  Fast. Good for everybody!
• Any item on the consent agenda can be moved to
  the regular agenda upon request from any board
  member. However, once the board approves the
  agenda, a board member may not pull anything off
  the consent agenda.

7
Board Packets

• Should be provided to Directors one week prior to
  the meeting
• Meant to inform the Board on the items that will
  be covered during the meeting
• Synopses of reports should be thorough, but to
  the point (reports are then delivered in a more
  succinct manner while still allowing Directors to
  formulate questions)
• All information required for decisions should be
  included in the board packets and should be
  labeled as to the action that will be taken with
  each piece (for instance, will you be voting on
  this?)

8
Meeting Times

• Set a standard meeting time and time limit, and
  stick to it if possible.
• Members will be more likely to attend meetings
  if you make them productive, predictable, and
  time effective.
• Make meeting as accessible as possible to all
  members of your school

9
Environments

• Conduct meetings where both Directors and members
  (parents) can be comfortable.
• Avoid the draw to conduct business with adults
  sitting in elementary size chairs.
• Arrange chairs so that all directors can see each
  other.
• Provide snacks so that when sugar levels run
  low, people can refill.

10
Posting Meetings

• You must post all meetings held by your Board.
• See Sunshine Law/Open Records training modules
  for specific laws.
• Also refer to school bylaws, sometimes they are
  more stringent than State law.

11
Beginning the Meeting

• Incorporating members into the meeting
• Greet all members and directors and make them
  feel welcome
• Setting the mood for the meeting
• Help Directors transition from their job or home
  into the meeting by reading your mission, saying
  the pledge, or doing something else meaningful to
  your meeting

12
Setting the flow of the meeting

• Put limits on time for less important issues
• Request that in-depth issues be assigned to
  subcommittees
• Give everyone a voice
• Ask those that are being quiet for their input
• Work with people who dominate the discussion to
  keep them succinct
• Human Factors
• Recognize when frustration is setting in, people
  are tired of sitting, or have needs known by
  nature-take breaks as needed

13
Keeping on Task

• Stick to the agenda
• Resist being drawn off task
• Keep conversation focused on the topic
• Tactfully end discussions when they are getting
  nowhere
• Start on time, end on time. A wise man once
  said, Ive never seen anything good come out of
  a five hour meeting!
• It is good practice to limit meeting to 1000pm
  and to hold meetings only once per month. If you
  require longer meetings or need to meet more
  frequently, you are probably not delegating to
  subcommittees enough

14
General Rules for Good Meetings

• Be prepared
• Use board notebooks that include past minutes,
  etc.
• Roberts Rules of Order
• Reach a conclusion / resolution and move on
• Record the minutes
• Schedule workshops for larger issues/work
• Have a policy handbook to reference
• Board chair to keep the meeting moving
• Focus on the goals using mission to guide
  decision making
• Communicate effectively
• Focus on solutions, not problems
• Dont try to solve everything
• Remain respectful - dont personalize issues
• Praise people twice as much as you criticize.

15
Keeping Minutes

• Again, reference Sunshine Law training module for
  guidance
• Remember that minutes should be detailed enough
  that anyone can read them and know what decisions
  were made by the Board
• Minutes also serve as a historical document of
  your schools growth

16
Ending the Meeting

• Task assignments
• Restate or verify who is needing to accomplish
  tasks before the next meeting
• Debriefing
• Very quickly check in with Directors and ask what
  worked well about the meeting and what did not
• Evaluate meetings on a regular basis so that you
  can work to improve areas that are not working
  well.

17
After the Meeting

• Distribute minutes
• Again, timeliness is necessary
• Delegation of decisions
• Follow-up on delegation decisions. See that all
  directors/members maintain responsibilities.
• Put unfinished business on the agenda for the
  next meeting
• Conduct evaluation
• Via mail, survey, or phone interview ask
  directors to reflect on what worked well in the
  meeting and what did not.

18
Special Caveat

• Thing ahead about how your board will interact
  with parents. You may decide you need policy on
  how parents bring concerns to the board. It
  might be good to establish a grievance process
  that includes steps to bring a concern to the
  board and whether that item needs to be
  considered in executive session or not.
• Remember to establish yourself as a parent
  governed school and not a parent run school.
  A parent governed school is one that considers
  all aspects of a problem (financial, educational,
  etc.) before making a decision, whereas, a parent
  run school is one that is subject to emotional
  decision making that does not consider the full
  impact of its decisions.